Four bright, environmentally friendly and technologically advanced junior classrooms were officially opened at Renwick School by Education Minister Anne Tolley yesterday.
Mrs Tolley said the rooms set a standard for schools around the country to aspire to when thinking about redesigning and building new or existing classrooms.
In a speech to pupils, parents and staff, Mrs Tolley said the rooms were a fantastic example of modern classrooms which allowed teachers to make sure children enjoyed their learning.
The rooms include underfloor heating, interactive whiteboards, projectors, computers, heatpumps and also collect rainwater from the roof for use in school toilets.
Mrs Tolley said it was important to modernise the country's 40 to 50-year-old building stock to keep up with changing technology.
"We're trying to make schools think about how their new classes are designed and make good use of natural resources because I'd much rather the money go into teaching and learning," she said.
Renwick School principal Simon Heath said the ministry-funded build took about five months and caused little disruption to school life except when pupils peered through the safety fence while diggers were working.
The school was funded for three rooms, but the board of trustees pitched in $45,000 for an extra class.
Mr Heath said the school would be reimbursed by the ministry because of its continually growing roll.
"It's a small price for long-term gain," he said of the board's contribution.
The classes have been in use since the start of this year.
The next stage would be to develop the area outside the classroom block to include an amphitheatre, playground and court area for junior students, he said.
Pupil Frank Hartland, 6, enjoyed the bright colours of the classroom because they suited the rest of the school.
The ceremony was a special occasion and they were lucky the "boss of all schools in New Zealand" was at the school to open the classes, he said.
- The Marlborough Express
SIMON WONG
This is an amazing achievement great work frank
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